TRAPPED IN HIS GOLDEN CAGE

ife slammed shut behind h

the oppressive silence weighing heavily around her. The house was vast

ing his black suit jacket before handing it to a waiti

quiry about her well-being

hard, forcing

g chandeliers cast an unforgiving light. Everything in the house wa

elt like

suffocat

ice broke h

Blac

, her expression warm yet cautious. Dressed in a pre

the woman said softly. "If you need

feeble smile. "

our. Mr. Blackwood typically dines alone, but I can arrang

wisted at the tho

shared space. Just another reminder that

Elena replied, her voice

ft, leaving her onc

moving through the dim corridor until she found a doo

bedr

caught in

y sheets sat prominently in the center, a crystal chandelier hanging f

hing a girl c

felt...

't belon

in the mirror looked transformed-her blue eyes filled with sor

e door caused

the doorframe, his suit vest still on, the sleeves o

pt over her,

u settl

rmth, almost as if her

sharply. "Am

a smirk, but there wa

ou keep the r

ru

d no f

voi

cho

"Do you even care how I

hing unreadable flashing in his

," he replied frostily. "D

into her pal

ed unbroken, but his

tairs for

and walked away, le

shaky breath, h

el. Indiff

nt, she had glimpsed som

idden benea

uldn't aff

erely his captive

rarely get

WITH TH

y table spanned the length of the room, with chand

whiskey in hand, his attention fixed on his ph

een them felt

ood in front of her-something lavish an

od around with her fork as

s drag

of utensils and the faint tickin

ouldn't hold i

The question slipped out be

ed up, his cold gray e

dy know th

a d

sip of his whis

ainfully. "You didn

s chuckle. "Would it

eath h

he was: a man who viewed emotions as weaknesses, one

osen anyone," she

s gaze, but it vanished b

easy to control,"

t her sto

n, pushing the plate

ore she could move, h

t d

fr

loud, but it w

turned back

against the glass.

n her. "You don't

ing back in his

eath c

his expression insc

ow his voice sent a shiver down h

d high, she pivot

all her back, to snap

he d

ly let

some r

ghtened

IGHT E

wake, unabl

bed, gazing out at the city

y was beginnin

n't love her, a man who bare

eld her fre

at the door

is tie undone and his shirt slightly unfasten

...

of the

before he finally said,

llowed. "

oorframe, watching her

rept down

words, he turned and m

ld ever escape the gilded cage h